Wedding invitation wording examples: formal, relaxed and family-hosted
Wedding invitation wording examples you can adapt: formal and relaxed styles, invitations hosted by parents or the couple, blended families, and online RSVPs.
Invitation wording sets the tone of a wedding before guests know anything else. These wedding invitation wording examples cover the most common situations, from formal to relaxed and from parents hosting to the couple hosting themselves, so you can adapt them to your names, your families and your style. Replace every name, date and place with your own.
What every invitation includes
Most invitations, whatever their tone, include:
- Who is hosting, or inviting.
- The request, such as "invite you to celebrate".
- The couple's names.
- Date and time.
- Venue and town.
- Reception details, if different.
- How to reply, often on a separate card or website.
Our guide to what to include on a wedding invitation explains each element and what can move to your website.
Wedding invitation wording examples: formal
Parents of one partner hosting
Mr and Mrs Daniel Reyes request the honour of your presence at the marriage of their daughter Sofia Isabel to Thomas James Whitfield on Saturday, the twelfth of June two thousand and twenty-seven at three o'clock in the afternoon Church of St Anne, Galway
"The honour of your presence" is traditionally used for ceremonies in a place of worship; "the pleasure of your company" for other venues.
Both families hosting
Together with their families Sofia Isabel Reyes and Thomas James Whitfield request the pleasure of your company at their marriage Saturday, 12 June 2027 at three o'clock The Old Mill, Galway
Relaxed and modern
Sofia and Tom are getting married! Join us for vows, dinner and dancing Saturday 12 June 2027, 3pm The Old Mill, Galway RSVP and details at sofia-and-tom.example.com
Even simpler
We are getting married, and we would love you there. Sofia and Tom 12 June 2027 · The Old Mill, Galway
The couple hosting
Sofia Reyes and Tom Whitfield invite you to celebrate their wedding Saturday, 12 June 2027 at three o'clock The Old Mill, Galway Reception to follow
Blended and divorced families
When parents are divorced or remarried, list hosts in a way that feels fair to everyone involved. One common approach:
Maria Santos and Robert Reyes together with Sofia's stepmother, Anne Reyes, invite you to the marriage of Sofia Isabel and Thomas James
Or keep it simple with "Together with their families". Our guide on how to include step parents in a wedding has more options.
Honouring a parent who has died
Sofia Isabel Reyes, daughter of Maria Santos and the late Daniel Reyes, and Thomas James Whitfield invite you to celebrate their marriage
Multiple events
If guests are invited to different events, mention only the events each guest is invited to, or point them to the website for their personal schedule. Our guide on multiple wedding events online RSVP wording shows examples.
Online RSVPs
Kindly reply by 15 April 2027 at sofia-and-tom.example.com
Our guide on how to word your wedding invitation when guests RSVP online covers this in more depth, including how to help guests who will not use a website.
Adults-only and plus-ones
Address the envelope or invitation to exactly who is invited. If the celebration is adults-only, mention it on the website or details card rather than the main invitation. Our guide to adults only wedding website wording has gentle examples.
Religious and cultural phrasing
Many traditions have their own invitation conventions, such as opening blessings, the names of both sets of parents, or wording that invites guests to a ceremony and a separate celebration. If one or both families follow a particular custom, ask an elder or the officiant how the invitation is usually worded, and include those elements alongside your chosen style. A short blessing or verse at the top, in the original language with a translation, can honour tradition while keeping the rest of the invitation simple. When families have different conventions, combining them on one card, or printing a version for each family, avoids anyone feeling that their tradition was left out.
Style notes
- Write the date in full for formal invitations, or in a clear format for others; avoid numerical dates that read differently between countries.
- Use full names on formal invitations.
- Match the tone to the event. A black-tie dinner and a beach barbecue deserve different words.
- Proofread aloud, and ask someone else to check names, dates and spelling.
The right wording is the one that sounds like your wedding. Start from an example, then change it until it reads like an invitation from the two of you.